Each time Ronnie Hillman got off the elevator on the floor for study sessions in the San Diego State football complex, he was greeted by a photograph of a former Aztec safety.

The man in that photograph is John Fox, Hillman’s new boss.

Hillman said Fox looks younger in the photograph than the man he recently met for the first time in person.

Fox, who grew up in San Diego, transferred to San Diego State from a junior college, and then after graduating, started his coaching career there as a graduate assistant in 1978, 13 years before Hillman was born.

Hillman spent the last two years living in San Diego, and was there last week when he heard the news that San Diego football legend Junior Seau had committed suicide. In fact, Hillman said he was driving on the highway of Seau’s hometown of Oceanside when he heard the tragic news.

Hillman went that day to Seau’s restaurant at the Mission Valley Mall, not far from Qualcomm Stadium, to pay respects to Seau.

“It was a tragedy and it affected that city,” Hillman said. “He had Seau’s restaurant out there and everybody went out there and had flowers and were standing out there with candles and stuff.”